A Question of Time
by Grokitman
Summary: The crew encounter a familiar creature with bloody consequences.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This story will connect the episodes "Time" and "Space" and will diverge from the show plot afterward. _

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_The human's overwhelming fear polluted my efforts to recall. I didn't have much time; I could sense him fading in my grip and the connections were falling apart. On the surface, he held images of our brothers attacked on Gefa. I let them fade away and pushed further into his mind past various images of people, places and major events in his life and it was among these that several threads caught my attention. I directed all of my focus to this area of his mind and recalled the connections it held and a pattern emerged just before he expired. _

Lt. Scott paced the corridor, his mind reeling in a daze, Sgt. Greer's blood dripping from his sleeve. Scott kept his distance and watched as Lt. Johansen and Park worked to save Sgt. Greer. Several marines stood by the gate visibly shaken by what just happened, only a minute ago they were laughing at an off-color remark Greer had made to them about the oddly shaped fruit found on the planet. The others in the room looked much worse off. Scott stopped and gathered himself just as Young came running down the corridor at full speed. The Destiny's countdown clock wound down to zero and the ship entered ftl.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: Chapters 2 & 3 entitled "Darkness, pt 1 & 2" will delve into Sgt. Greer's past. "Darkness, pt 2" will tie back into the present time aboard Destiny and continue the story._

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"_His people have only recently found the ancient gates yet they have already used them in wars. The human was a soldier who fought many battles on many worlds."_

The two new scientists from P3X-434 were already waiting at the gate as Greer approached. They picked up their bags and looked relieved to see him.

"Owens, Darren?" Greer asked.

Owens extended a hand "Dr. Frank Owens, and my colleague" Owens gestured, "Dr. Darryl Darren."

"Ron Greer, call me Sergeant." He responded as he shook their hands. "Doctors, if you're ready, I'll show you back to the outpost."

Owens and Darren each adjusted their packs and took up one end of the footlocker they had brought through and followed in silence for a few minutes up the hill.

"It sure is hot here."

Greer turned his face up to the sky and adjusted his cap with his free hand, "It is…" he noted almost as if to himself.

"How far away is the outpost?" Darren asked.

Greer nodded in the general direction, "In the valley, about a mile away."

"Whew, I thought it was going to be far."

Greer stopped and motioned for Owens and Darren to get down. "Get off the trail, move into the trees and stay."

Darren took a step to follow, "Wait, what is it?"

Greer pointed at the footlocker, "Move it."

Owens and Darren ducked behind some trees. As Greer moved up to get a view of the outpost, he could hear for a solid minute the doctors whispered arguing about whether they were well enough hidden or if they should move further away from the trail. The argument finally ended with a series of "Shhh!", "No you shush!", "Hush!", "Quiet!" and "Shut up."

Greer counted about twenty Jaffa on the outpost grounds and a landed Tel'tak cargo ship, no sign of Major Jackson or Private Russell. Another Tel'tak was flying over the other side of the canyon where Lieutenant Hirano and Private Green had gone with the dig team. "Shit."

"Don't tell me to shut up, you shut up." Darren hissed. His expression changed as a new thought entered his mind, "You think it could be a bearboar?"

"What… what?" Owens chuckled in disbelief.

"Bearboars, you know, there are wild boars running around this planet the size of bears."

Owens looked at his colleague in wonder, "Yeah, I heard that one. You do know that's just a story the SG teams made up to tell their rookies, right? Seriously. Who would make up something so ridiculous?"

"Well I heard it apparently came from when SG-1 was here. From Colonel O'Neill himself."

"O'Neill?" Owens took a moment to contemplate the idea suddenly aware of the surrounding area, "No... the sergeant wouldn't just leave us out here alone and run off if…"

There came a sound of something charging over dirt and brush toward them.

Greer called to the doctors as he passed, "Drop everything and follow me."

Owens and Darren were each twenty pounds lighter and behind Greer before he finished his sentence.


End file.
